City Walls

The place I come from     

Is a time I left behind

The man I have become

Is the boy I used to hide

The feeling I once kept inside

I reveal with pride

Still, I’m haunted by

Being ridiculed in another life

Safe inside these CITY WALLS

Far removed from a world outside

The world inside these CITY WALLS

Is an extravagant disguise

I’ve learned to relax here

I don’t question who I am

I love who I chose to love

And no one seems to care

I have many friends here

The most common thread we share

We left our past behind

To find ourselves

Living somewhere

Chorus

Bridge –

Look at us

We’re holding hands

As we walk up Eight Avenue

Without fear of passing strangers

But would we be so brave on

MAINSTREET, HOMETOWN USA

In front of relatives and neighbors

Every now and again

There are cracks in the walls

And I come face to face

With the hate I left behind

The moments are fleeting

But remind me every time

Hatred still exists

On either side of

The city skyline

Chorus

The Right Thing 

You don’t know how happy

I am here with you

You don’t know how happy

I am here with you

If I let myself go I can be as

corny as hell

And you will see a part of me others seldom view

Yet I’m quite sure it’s 

THE RIGHT THING to do

THE RIGHT THING to do

When I look into your eyes 

and say “ I Love You”

When I look into your eyes 

and say “ I Love You”

If I let myself go I know I’m gonna’ cry

And you will see a part of me others seldom view

Yet I’m quite sure it’s 

THE RIGHT THING to do

THE RIGHT THING to do

I’ve got to be strong

I’ve got to speak from my

heart

Though my fear of losing you

Keeps telling me to stop

If I let myself go I can be as

corny as hell

And you will see a part of me others seldom view

Yet I’m quite sure it’s 

THE RIGHT THING to do

THE RIGHT THING to do

When I say, when I say 

“I Love You”

When I say “I Love You”

THE RIGHT THING to do …….

Bad Habits 

Lay down the plastic

Sign on the dotted line

I work like a slave

But I don’t see a dime  

Cheap talk and cocktails

Smoked all my cigarettes

Got three loaded ashtrays

And a mountain of regrets

Bad Habits

Give me false sense of pride

(And) I will be paying for this

Until the day I die

I met him in the men’s room

He spot me for the blow

He said, “Bro you owe me interest”

How was I to know?  

My mind was on over-drive

I could not even think

It had been 3 long days

And I hadn’t slept a wink

Bad Habits

Give me false sense of pride

(And) I will be paying for this

Until the day I die

One habit feeds another

The chain never ends

You plot you’re escape to be

Trapped once again  

The moment I claim victory

Is the moment of defeat!

I allow myself to gamble

Thinking I am free

Bad Habits

Give me false sense of pride

(And) I will be paying for this

Until the day I die  

(musical break) 

(first Verse & Chorus)

Blueprint

I grew up in a family of women.  Daddy died a drunk.

Mom never married again. She said, “One man was enough.”

Where is the blueprint that tells me how to live with you?

Where is the blueprint that tells me what to do?

My Aunt was my father’s sister. I was her surrogate son. 

She never dated, never married.  She said “I live my life for God”

Where is the blueprint that tells me how to live with you?

Where is the blueprint that tells me what to do?

With future in-front of me

All I see is a vacancy

To serve me - To serve me

I need a memory

I learned my lessons through trail and error

But I’m running out of time

Before we go any further

What I need is a basic design

What I’m trying to say

Is I love you and I want to stick together

What I’m trying to say

Is let’s work it out

I need a blueprint that shows me how to live with you

Where is my blueprint that tells me what to do?

I grew up in a family of women.  Daddy died a drunk.

One Night Kiss 

We met on holiday

Under a moonlit sky over Montreal

I could feel the summer breeze

Whisper love, sweet love

I finally found someone

Or was it circumstance

And the distance shared between  

He says he wants to visit me

But do I feel the same

If I tell him “Please stay home”

This question will remain  

Was it really love?

How am I to know?

Our summer romance seems so long ago.

Am I wrong or am I right

To feel like this?

Was it love at first sight

Or a one night kiss?  

Maybe, I should write

Maybe telephone

Say I've changed my mind

Would he please stay home?  

Still I fear he would agree

And change his flight

Am I wrong to feel like this?

Or am I right?  

He says he wants to visit me

But do I feel the same

If I tell him “Please stay home”

This question will remain

Was it really love?

How am I to know?

Our summer romance seems so long ago

Was it love at first sight

Or a one night kiss?

ONE NIGHT KISS

Paris Is A Lonely Town 

The glamour’s gone

The shades are down

And Paris is only 

a lonely town

Lonely!

When love’s a laugh

And you’re the clown

Paris is only a dreary town

Dreary!

For the loveless clown

This town’s a weary merry-go-round and round 

and round

The chestnut, the willow

The colors of Utrillo

Turn to gray, gray hues___

The band playing Bizet

Along the Champs Elyseé

Sounds like way down blues.

Paris is a dreary lonely.

Oh! So lonely Town

Where’s that shining flower?

‘Neath the Eiffel Tower

Where’s that fairy land 

of Gold?

Isn’t it a pity?

That this magic city turned suddenly cold?

The Chimney’s moan, the river cries

Each glamorous bridge is a bridge of sighs,

River, river, won’t you be my lover

Don’t bring me down.

For Paris is such a lonely, lonely town

Faggotry Personified  

I live in a glass house

I’m the cat that called the kettle black

I’m your closest enemy

I’m the fattest monkey on your back

When you look in the mirror

I am the face you see

It’s a face you think you hide

It’s a reflection you try to cheat

FAGGOTRY PERSONIFIED

True to your name

FAGGOTRY PERSONIFIED

We’re one in the same

Soce, in the place to be

Droppin’ a joint with my man Frank G.

You’re looking so good that you’re chick magnet

The ladies wanna have it, but your just a “FAGGOT”

I am the men you patronize

I am the feeling you won’t admit

I am the person people usually notice

When you work so hard at being glib

You often scoff at those who you despise

Because I am the face you see

It’s a face you think you hide

It’s a reflection you try to cheat

FAGGOTRY PERSONIFIED

True to your name

FAGGOTRY PERSONIFIED

We’re one in the same

Aye Yo

Who you are and where your at

Is all a lie, cus you’re such a scaredy cat

Personified.  Man , you can barely act

It’s coming across to me as fairly wack

When I spit on a joint, then I tear the track

Removing all my layers till I bare my back,

While you keep all your thoughts in a cul-de-sac,

Or pocketed away in a shoulder pack.

Why don’t you just admit all your hopes and dreams

To yourself, cuz no one else needs to know these things

Until your ready. So, when the votes decreed,

Get on your on two, buddy, and post the deed

Finally you’ll stop being the lonely breed,

And privacy will no longer be your only need

You’re feeling trapped in a box?  Then homie, please

Reach out. Cuz we’ve all been on the phoney team

It’s not what you do, brother

It’s what you say

That points every arrow back to you

It’s not who you fool, brother

It’s when you kid yourself

Everybody else sees the truth

chorus & out

Love Is Not The Same (What Am I Doing In This Bed)

I’ve been awake since you feel asleep

I hear voices of reason talking to me

They say when we make love it feels as if

We’re both off to somewhere else

The lack of passion in each hard-pressed kiss

Has kept me asking myself

What am I doing in this bed?

What am I doing here alone with you?

I might as well be by myself

Because our LOVE IS NOT THE SAME
LOVE IS NOT THE SAME-anymore.

I’m recalling memories and counting regrets

Our love spent on romance has run into debt

With each conflict between you and me

Our anger grows and then subsides

We stay together feeling ill at ease

Perpetuating this lie

What am I doing in this bed?

What am I doing here alone with you?

I might as well be by myself

Because our LOVE IS NOT THE SAME
LOVE IS NOT THE SAME- anymore.

I wish I could stay here

And make believe this place was still our home

I wish I could go on

Acting as if there is really nothing wrong

Nothing Wrong

What am I doing in this bed?

What am I doing here alone with you?

I might as well be by myself

Because our LOVE IS NOT THE SAME

What am I doing in this bed?

What am I doing here alone with you?

I might as well be by myself

Because our LOVE IS NOT THE SAME
LOVE IS NOT THE SAME.

Love doesn’t feel the same

Does not feel the same - anymore

Incident On Hicks St.   (I Went Away) 

He told me to stand in the darkest corner of a lumber garage

With My shorts below my knees

He said “ Boy! Keep your mouth shut and silently wait

Silently wait there for me

When he returned he held his hands over my mouth

Then he took me from behind

He could feel my muffled scream from the enormous pain

That was part of his pleasure

I was five maybe six years old

He was maybe thirty-three

He said you tell anyone what we did

I’ll kill you dad

He showed me the knife

As if he meant what he said

I suddenly heard my dad call my name from the doorway

Frightened and crying I ran through the rows of wood

I can’t remember what else happened that day

My memory doesn’t go any further – I went Away

I wish I could tell you more

But I went away

I went away

I went away

As I got older

People in the neighborhood

Said that boys mind is somewhere else

I went away

I went away

I went away

I went away

Far, far away

Everywhere I Go

Everyday feels like 

the same old grind

The same old rhythm 

to the same old rhyme

Everything familiar is undefined

I can’t smell 

he breakfast coffee;

I can’t taste the diner wine

Everywhere I go, there I am

Everywhere I go, there I am

Everything’s so boring comfortable and clean

I’m neither sad or happy or anywhere between

What was once recreation has become routine

The place I once enjoyed - feels like the same old scene

Everywhere I go, there I am

Everywhere I go, there I am

I can’t see the 

forest for the trees

I’ve become

 my own worst enemy

I can change the things I do

But I can’t run away from me  

The Same Mistake 

How can you pretend

To be in love?

It isn’t true

While you defend

What you define

Love is for you

I’ve been among

The broken hearts

Left lying in your wake

While you profess

To be in love

You knowingly push me away

I have learned that I want something more

More than your heart can afford

Though I will never be sure

What I’m searching for 

Won’t be THE SAME MISTAKE

Search and you will find

Longing looks

From naked eyes

They reveal a truth

You regard

Then despise

I’ve been among

The broken hearts

Left lying in your wake

While you profess

To be in love

You knowingly push me away

I have learned that I want something more

More than your heart can afford

Though I will never be sure

What I’m searching for 

Won’t be THE SAME MISTAKE

Over and over

Time and time again

I believed every word

Until the very end

How can you pretend?

To be in love

It isn’t true

While you defend

What you define

Love is for you

I have learned that I want something more

More than you’re heart can afford

Though I will never be sure

What I’m searching for 

Won’t be THE SAME MISTAKE

Shut Up And Listen!  

My mouth is moving

But not saying anything

The pitch of each inflection

Has a higher ring

Of words based on fear

Rather than fact

The courage I lack

Is to SHUT UP AND LISTEN!

I’m all bent out of shape

When I could be serene

I rather be in the know

Than admit defeat

My mouth almighty

Keeps sputtering words

Did you say what I heard?

SHUT UP AND LISTEN!

What is your point?

Why don’t I understand?

Can you write it down?

Will you draw me a diagram?

Why does each detail seem hidden?

Why do you keep shouting?

Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!

Shut up and listen

Yea, Yea Shut your mouth and listen!

Yea, Yea, Yea, Shut your mouth and listen!

Fighting In My Sleep 

Less is more, more or less

Honesty at it’s best

Hard to believe

Hard to confess

The truth I possess

A moment’s truth

May be a perfect fit

But is there more

Then I care to admit

How do I start?

Where do I begin?

By letting go

Am I giving in?  

While I’m fighting in my sleep

Trying to keep the boogieman at bay

You’re dialing 911

You hope the men in blue come right away

If they don’t – it’s okay

At the end of the day

I’m just another naked man FIGHTING IN MY SLEEP  

Life’s most painful paradox

Is only love can break your heart

Love begins -As a lark

Becomes something more

Then falls apart